"Tips & Tricks"

Not everyone loves to be in the kitchen, so this month, along with my friend Washau, I have compiled a list of Tips and Tricks to help you out. Cooking is not an exact art, but an experiment of taste. Don't be afraid to add to or take away from a recipe. When cooking, cook to your own taste. Enjoy and Happy Cooking!!!

For fluffier boiled potatoes, pour off the water after boiling, retaining the potatoes in the pot. Cover the pot with a two layers of paper towels and then the lid. Wait about ten minutes. The paper towels will collect the steam leaving your potatoes fluffy.

Mashed potatoes: Save some of the water in which the potatoes were boiled. Add to some powdered milk and use when mashing. This restores some of the nutrients that were lost in the cooking process.*

The darker the surface of your pie pan the darker the crust will become. If you desire a very light crust, use a glass pie dish.

When working with pie dough, the longer you kneed the dough the less flaky it will be after cooking

Use a piece of egg shell to attract any stray piece that might have gotten into your batter.

Chill cookie dough before cooking, it is easier to shape and cooks better than room temperature dough.

Dust a bit of cornstarch or flour on top of your cake to prevent icing from running off.

Raisins coated with flour will not sink to bottom of your cake batter.

If you remove the legs and thighs from a turkey and cook them along side the breast in the same pan, your cooking time will be cut by half.

Tenderize your pot roast or stewing meat by using two cups of hot tea as a cooking liquid instead of water.

To give a vegetable better stability while cutting or chopping, cut at least one side first and then place the flat side down. This will give you better control before making any additional cuts.

Put frozen bread loaves in a clean brown paper bag and place for 5 minutes in a 325-degree oven to thaw completely.

Add a pat of butter or a few teaspoons of cooking oil to the boiling water and rice, noodles or spaghetti will not boil over or stick together.

Soften butter quickly by grating it. Or heat a small pan and place it upside-down over the butter dish for several minutes.